Italian defender Alessandro Bastoni has claimed that there is a “lack of respect” towards footballers when discussing one Manchester United star.
Manchester United players are often under a different kind of pressure, especially in the modern-day social media world.
The online sphere has allowed supporters to speak their mind more than ever before – that can sometimes be good, but more often it leads to over-the-top abuse.
Harry Maguire knows what it’s like more than most professional footballers. He was mocked and abused constantly online for a long period.
Now, that criticism has mostly moved away from Maguire, who dealt with it unbelievably. But it is still going on for others at United, and within the footballing world.
Bastoni defends Maguire after “scary” criticism
The topic of such online abuse was brought up to Alessandro Bastoni during an interview with Tuttosport this week, where Maguire in particular was used as an example.
The Inter Milan defender noted that there is usually a “lack of respect” towards footballers through social media but also highlighted that it seems worse at Old Trafford.
“The Maguire situation? It’s a tough situation for him. It’s normal when you get paid a lot that the pressure increases,” Bastoni stated.
“We know it’s difficult at Manchester United, anyone who goes there finds themselves in difficulty.
“I understand it a little, there’s often a lack of respect towards us. You can’t insult my family or wish me dead because I made a mistake. Social media has brought this unhealthy thing.
“For example, I’m talking about the Inter fan who whistles at one of their players or insults him on social media, it’s counterproductive. I go and read the comments; it bothers me to see certain things.
“Then maybe it happens that they find you around and ask you for a photo. It’s up to you to distinguish people’s criticisms. There’s a malice and envy that’s scary.”
United need to protect their players
Maguire’s case is quite extreme and when he retires, it will certainly be interesting to see if he goes into more detail about how he managed to cope with such difficulty.
In an ideal world, we can hope that the same situation is not repeated for another United player in the future, but that isn’t realistic in the modern world.
Read More: Manchester United set for major Kobbie Mainoo contract breakthrough after star ‘changes transfer priorities’
The club have to offer the right support and protection to their players to deal with the scrutiny that comes with being a United player.
For all of the skill you have, if you cannot handle the pressure, playing at Old Trafford will be difficult. And it’s hard to say how that changes.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.